Congratulations! You are having a baby. You are surely wondering how baby is growing. Track your baby's development week by week. Select the week of your pregnancy from below and find out the stage of baby's growth.

Week 1 - Your last menstrual period
This week begins when you have had your last menstrual period. Remember that your expected date of delivery is usually calculated from the first day of your last menstrual period. So this week is part of your pregnancy period, even though your baby is not conceived yet.

As you get ready to conceive, it is good to consult your doctor about any prescription drugs that you are taking and if it is safe to continue them. Avoid alcohol, drugs and tobacco products all together. A well-balanced diet with adequate amount of vitamins and folic acid is essential during this phase. You could talk to your doctor about taking a folic acid supplement, as it reduces the risk of neural tube defects.

Week 2 - The beginning
You are not yet pregnant, but the fertilization of your egg by the sperm is about to take place soon. Your uterine lining, which will nourish the baby, is developing, and your body secretes follicle-stimulating hormones, which stimulates an egg to mature.

If you have a regular 28-day cycle, you will be at the midpoint of your menstrual cycle at the end of this week and ovulation (release of an egg into the fallopian tube) will occur. If you have sexual intercourse without protection around this time, you can become pregnant - although you will not be feeling any body changes just yet.

Even though you may not feel that you're pregnant your baby is already growing and developing inside you! About thirty hours after fertilization, the egg divides into two cells, then four, then eight, and continues to divide as it moves from the fallopian tube to the uterus. By the time it reaches the uterus, this group of cells becomes a tiny ball called the morula.

The morula becomes hollow and fills with fluid - it is then known as a blastocyst. Near the end of this week, the blastocyst will attach itself to the lining of the uterus called the endometrium. This attachment is essential as the endometrium will provide the developing embryo with nutrients and remove wastes. In time, this attachment or connection develops into the placenta.

Week 3 - The embryo
Your baby is technically called an embryo now and consists of two layers of cells - the epiblast and the hypoblast - that will eventually develop into your baby's organs and body parts.

Two other structures developing now are the amnion and the yolk sac. The amnion, filled with amniotic fluid, will surround and protect the growing embryo. The yolk sac will produce blood and help to nourish the embryo until the placenta takes over that role.

Week 4 - Signs of pregnancy set in
This week baby continues to burry itself deep into the lining of the uterus and starts producing a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), which helps to maintain the lining. It also sends a signal to the ovary to stop releasing an egg each month, which stops your monthly periods. hCG is the hormone that is measured in pregnancy tests. So, a home pregnancy test taken now will probably be able to detect your pregnancy!

You may experience slight cramping and spotting of blood during this week. And there's every possibility that you could mistake it for a period, as it often occurs around the date of your monthly periods.

The symptoms of pregnancy can appear this week. The first pregnancy symptoms resemble those for premenstrual syndrome. So, fatigue, tingling or aching breasts, or nausea might lead you to believe your period will be starting any day. But by the end of this week, your expected period will not take place as your pregnancy is on!

Week 5 - Rapid development
Your baby's brain and nervous system are now developing at a rapid pace. Optic vesicles, which later form the eyes, begin to develop this week on the side of the head, as do the passageways that will make up the inner ear.

Your baby's heart will begin to beat around this time, and it may even be detected on ultrasound examination. And the beginnings of the digestive and respiratory systems are forming, too. Small buds that will grow into your baby's arms and legs also appear this week.

Since their legs are curled up against the torso for much of the pregnancy, a full-length measurement of babies is difficult. So they are measured from head to bottom (derrière) rather than from head to toe. This week, your baby only measures 0.08 to 0.2 inches (2 to 5 millimeters) from head to bottom!

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